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Why you should consider a graduate job at an SME

Final year of university comes with finals, deadlines and hearing your friends boast about their graduate scheme job starting at the end of the summer… No one likes a show off Keith! But for those that haven’t managed to bag a place on a graduate job inevitably panic strikes. Overdrafts maxed to the max out and that dread that you will have to move back home with your parents starts to settle in. Just like the real slim shady your knees get weak and arms get heavy. If you are starting to feel like this, in the famous words of Douglas Adams “don’t panic”.

So what should I do?

As they say in jolly old England, ready to get gobsmacked? You should consider looking for career opportunities from within an SME. An acronym, SMEs can be defined as a small to medium sized enterprises. SMEs are defined as companies that are independent and usually employ fewer than 250 employees. It shouldn’t be difficult finding SMEs that are employing with SMEs making up 99% of the private sector businesses in the UK. Interesting as SMEs are usually absent from most graduates job search.

Why should I work for an SME?

Working for an SME can be a lot more satisfying for graduate employees! Research obtained from TUC in 2008 found that employees in small businesses are most satisfied at work and in the work they do. According to TUC; employees have more engagement from their employers on a day to day basis, freedom with their working patterns and more involvement in decision making.

SIZE ISN’T EVERYTHING! As SMEs rely on fewer employees there are more opportunities to take on extra responsibilities helping you to learn more about the sector you are working in and gaining more experience in a working environment after graduation. SME employers know that their greatest asset is their staff. As a direct result within SMEs the workforce have a say in how the organisation is run. This can mean an environment where the decision making process is more efficient and you can see the rewards to your work much faster. As a graduate you should want to take on more responsibilities, because as a result you are likely to progress faster and have more control over projects and work you are directly involved with… And with all this responsibility you will now have a conversation starter on your next Tinder date, “I am responsible for our businesses development and sales across the entire london area” makes you sound even more of a catch!

As a graduate you are in demand (remember that). This is because you have knowledge and expertise that is desirable to employers. For many graduates, putting your university education to use in the workplace can be challenging and often you might not have the opportunity to do this. Within an SME you can make that student debt worthwhile. You can use roles within SMEs to build your experience. You’ll be interacting with people from every department and level on a day to day basis and will pick up on how the different areas of the business work, all while developing your own commercial awareness.

What’s the best way to find SME positions?

Different to graduate schemes that have formalised start dates every year, positions at SMEs can come up at any time. Therefore, it is important to get your job search strategy going. Here at Magnet.me we have made the process of finding SME positions a lot easier so that you can find a role that best suits your career aspirations after graduation. So now you can chill out, loosen those weak knees and crank up the Rick Astley as an SME opportunity won’t desert you!